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Bridgestone Corporation (Bridgestone) announced that it has commenced a Proof of Concept (PoC) for using soft-robot hands to automatically perform piece-picking, the process of picking and transporting individual items, at logistics sites. Looking ahead, the company will seek to achieve small-scale commercialization of soft-robotics business through co-creation with various partners during the next Mid Term Business Plan (2024-2026).

November 29, 2022 marked the beginning of a new era for KraussMaffei: As planned, on this day the Group took delivery of the keys to its new plant and corporate headquarters in Parsdorf from the project developer VGP. Not only does this mark the start of one of the largest relocation projects in the greater Munich area since the airport was moved from Riem to Erding in 1992, but the commissioning is above all the final and decisive building block in the modernization of the almost 185-year-old traditional group. Since 2018, the company has invested a three-digit million euro sum in four new sites in Germany and China.

Book your early bird pass for 8th World Elastomer Summit taking place on 1st & 2nd March 2023 in Lyon, France to hear from Teknor Apek & Asahi Kasei during session six titled: “Innovations in Thermoplastic Elastomer (TPE) Formulations and Applications”.

GRI announces that it has acquired Klumpenaar Industriebanden BV in the Netherlands. Founded in 2010, Klumpenaar Industriebanden BV has been actively engaged in the Material Handling tire aftermarket service and distribution business. The company has grown its business rapidly since inception and built a sound reputation for outstanding customer service.

LanzaTech NZ, Inc. and Sumitomo Riko Company Limited, announced they have entered into a joint-development agreement to reuse rubber, resin and urethane waste for the production of a key chemical intermediate, isoprene.

Taking forward its commitment to Sustainability, Apollo Tyres has partnered with Tyromer Inc, a leader in non-chemical devulcanisation of end-of-life tyres. Tyromer Inc, through their Indian associate, Tyromer India LLP, is committed to supplying recycled rubber material, produced using its environmentally sustainable processes, to Apollo Tyres.

Braskem announced the construction of a new Renewable Innovation Center located in Lexington, Massachusetts at the Lexington Labs at 10 Maguire Road in Lexington, MA owned by Greatland Realty Partners. Braskem’s new 35,000-square-foot innovation center will focus on accelerating innovation in renewable chemicals and sustainable materials. Capabilities at the new center will expand Braskem’s competencies in biotechnology, catalysis, process engineering, and open innovation. A particular focus will be given to early-stage science and engineering related to the conversion of biomass-based feedstocks, including sugars, cellulose, plant oils, and lignin, to sustainable chemicals and materials. This will enhance Braskem’s resources focused on the discovery of technologies that will drive new growth-oriented offerings centered around Carbon Circularity. This new innovation center is the latest expansion of Braskem’s global Innovation & Technology footprint.

Bridgestone announced that its tire manufacturing plant in Rome, Italy (‘Roma’) has become the first tire plant across the whole of Bridgestone to achieve the coveted and globally recognized International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS certification.

The Sumitomo Rubber Group announced that they held a kickoff ceremony this past September in Jambi Province, Indonesia to celebrate the resumption of their “Traceability and Transparency Pilot Project,” which had been suspended until then due to the pandemic. This pilot project brings together the group’s natural rubber procurement subsidiary (SUMITOMO RUBBER SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.), a producer and distributor of natural rubber based in Singapore (Halcyon Agri Corporation Ltd.) and a natural rubber processor based in Indonesia (PT. Hok Tong).

Akron, OH – The Rubber Division ACS is offering the following learning opportunities this December. December 6 – Course: Rubber